Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations

House Set To Vote Today On Plan To Scrap Medicare’s Flawed Doctor Payment Formula

The proposal, hammered out by Speaker John Boehner and Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi along with others, is attracting growing support. But its fate in the Senate is still not clear.

The Wall Street Journal:
Passage Of ‘Doc Fix’ Bill Edges Closer
Lawmakers on Wednesday closed in on passage of a measure to permanently replace an 18-year-old formula for reimbursing doctors for Medicare patients, as support in the House swelled ahead of a vote Thursday and resistance faded among Senate Democrats. The speed with which the package advanced marks a doubly rare moment for this Congress, as it involves a bipartisan agreement and the most contentious of subjects: a change to an entitlement program. ... The House package also would provide two years of funding for a program that provides health insurance to children from low-income families. (Hughes, 3/25)

NPR:
Is Capitol Hill Ready To Rest Its Near-Annual 'Doc Fix' Exercise?
Doctors who treat Medicare patients will face a huge cut, 21 percent, if Congress doesn't act by the end of the month. This isn't a new problem. While Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill agree that the formula that pays doctors who treat Medicare patients has long been broken, over the years they've been unable to pass more than temporary patches. But the leaders of the House from both parties have come up with a plan that they think can fix a problem that has bedeviled Congress since 1997. On Thursday, it goes to the House floor for a vote. (Summers, 3/26)

Reuters:
Obama Ready To Sign Bipartisan Fix For Medicare Doc Payments
President Barack Obama said on Wednesday he was ready to sign bipartisan legislation to change the formula for reimbursing Medicare physicians, while the U.S. Senate's top Democrat appeared open to allowing a vote on the measure. Both developments signified growing support for a bipartisan effort to address a persistent problem and make small adjustments in Medicare costs. (Cornwell, 3/25)

The Associated Press:
Obama Ready To Sign Bill Revamping Medicare Doc Fees
Obama's remark, made a day before the House is expected to approve the measure, seemed to add political momentum to the package's prospects in the Senate, where Minority Leader Harry Reid and others had complained about abortion curbs and other provisions. The overall bill is a compromise worked out by House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. (Fram and Pickler, 3/25)

The New York Times:
House Leaders Confident Of Passing Medicare Bill
Leaders of both parties in the House expressed confidence on Wednesday that their chamber would soon approve sweeping changes in Medicare, even though the Congressional Budget Office released figures showing that the bill could add more than $140 billion to federal budget deficits in the coming decade. ... The measure has drawn support from many diverse organizations, including the American Medical Association, the American Hospital Association and liberal groups like Families USA, the Center for American Progress and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. (Pear and Steinhauer, 3/25)

Politico:
Senate Democratic Opposition To Medicare Pay Bill Softening
President Barack Obama put pressure on Democrats on Wednesday when he said he looks forward to signing a “good bipartisan bill” to change the Medicare formula and permanently put an end to the “doc fixes” that Congress has passed for years. ... Senate Democrats had two big objections. They wanted to double the House’s two-year extension of the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and they didn’t want to include Hyde Amendment abortion restrictions to the bill’s funding for community health centers. Also, the Senate was not involved in the negotiations, which has frustrated Democrats. Senate Republicans are much more supportive, but some have expressed concern that the package is not fully paid for. (Haberkorn, 3/26)

The Hill:
Health Groups Endorse Medicare Deal Despite CHIP Concerns
The $200 billion House deal on Medicare is drawing support from family health advocates, despite concerns from Democrats who say the legislation deprives funding for a children's health program. Leaders of the infant health advocacy group March of Dimes endorsed the bill Wednesday, praising lawmakers for acting "well in advance of the scheduled expiration" of the program. Their letter, addressed to House leadership, called for the bill's passage despite “disappointment” that the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) is only funded for two years. (Ferris, 3/25)

CQ Healthbeat:
'Doc Fix' Would Swell Deficit By $141 Billion, CBO Says
The House-negotiated package to scrap Medicare’s physician payment formula would increase the federal deficit by $141 billion over 11 years, $900 million less than it would cost to freeze doctors’ payment rates over that period, the Congressional Budget Office estimated on Wednesday. (Attias, 3/25)

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